Receptacle.



PATENTED Nov. 13,1906.

W. H. SMITH. RBGBPTAGLB.

AFPLIOATION P ILED JAN. 19. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

7n: Noam rens c mcmu l c No. 835,645. PATENTBD Nov. 1a, 190.v

W. H. SMITH.

A REGEPTACLB. APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 19. 1906.

3 SHEETB-SHEET 2.

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PATENTBD NOV. 13, 1906.

. .SMITH PTAGLB. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII AN.19.1906.

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Witnesses j i UNITED sTATEsy PATENT oEEIGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.v 1 3, 1 906.

Appiimion and January 19,1906. serial No. 296.878.

Be it known that I, WILLIAMl HENRY ISMITH, a subject ofthe Kingof'England, rer siding at Purley, in the county of Surrey, England, haveinvented certain new and use-l ful Improvements in Receptacles, ofwhich, thefollowing is a speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements ini air-tight boxes, jars, orother receptacles--` such, for example, as the metal boxes used forstoring sensitized photographic paper. I

One feature of this. invention consists in providing a simple andeiificient device for.l tightly closing the receptacle or for producingan air-tight joint round the edges of thert lid or cover, and in aspecific form of air-tightt box embodying this invention and contain-ving a desiccator a novel arrangement of the. box is provided. y r

The closing device I have` hitherto ein-f ployed comprises a lid havinga packing-ring vat its edge and radially-movable segments arrangedwithin the ring and connected by; toggle-arms with a central movablememberl by which the packing-ring may be pressed into close contact withthe receptacle.

According to this invention the togglearms and separate segments aredispensed.,

, -1 with, anda dished frame, hav'ing resilient radial arms engaging thepacking-ring at their ends, is arranged to be pressed downward in thecenter, so as to force the ends ofthe arms.

outward. The frame may be of sheet metal cut or slotted so as to formthe radial arms, and the arms preferably terminate in seg-l mentalpieces which are practically in contact vwith one another, so as vtoproduce an` even pressure all round the packing-ring. When the pressureis removed from the center of the frame,- the resilient Aarms cause theframe to recover its original form, thus with-k drawing the segmentalpieces and releasing the closing device.

` l In one method according to this inven-` tion for pressing down thecenter of the.y frame a rod fixed at its lower end to the base,

of the lid projects upward through the center of the frame, and a handlepivoted thereto.` carries a cam arranged to force down the cen-,

ter of the frame when the handle is rotated. Preferably the cam has alat end, so that when the handle is turned, say, in a horizontalposition the center of the frame is forced down and retained in thatposition.

In arranging an air-tight box containing a desiccator according to thisinvention a hygroscopicagent is placed in a fiat pan or tray fittingeasily into the bottom of thebox, and the .pan is covered with aperforated plate. To hold these parts in place andvto prevent paper fromsliding down between the perforated plate and the side of. the box, acylindrical'liner is inserted .in the box, so as to rest on theperforated plate. The top of this liner reaches nearly to the upper edgeof the box and serves as an abutment on which the lid or cover may rest.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of acylindrical receptacle provided with a closing devicel embodying thisinvention and particularly adapted for containing photographic paper.Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the closing device in its grippingposition. Fig. 3 is a `plan showing the dished frame. Fig. 4 is avertical section illustrating the novel internal arrangement of a boxcontaining a desiccator. Fig. 5 is an elevation showing a modified formof lid, and Fig. 6 illustrates in plan the application of this inventionto a rectangular receptacle.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the igures ofthe drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2and 3, the receptacle itself A has an innerabutment or ange A near thetop to receive the lid. `The lid comprises adisk B, say ofsheet-zinc, turned upward at its edges. vWithin this andabove it is a second disk B and between the disks is retained apacking-ring C, of india-rubber or the like, conveniently L-shaped incross-section. This lid may be an easy iit in the top of the receptacleA. The lid has a rod D projecting upwardly from its center, theconnection D between the rod D and the disk B being air-tight. andwithin the packing-.ring is a dished frame E, of resilient material,such as brass. This Ais in the form ofa fiat cone with its base rest-@number of narrow arms, which are extended at their ends to formsegmental .pieces'E2 of such a size that there is a practicallycontinuous series of segments within the packing,-

'ring C. Pivoted to the top of the central rod D is a handle G, at thebottom of which ar( lugs G', which form a substantially oblong,

Resting on the top of the lid 9 5 IOC ,from the disk BC In the formshown in Fig. 1 the desiccator is arranged in a known manner in the boxA. The hygroscopic agent J, such as calcium chlorid, is placed in a flatpan K, and the pan is covered by a perforated plate K, screwed to thepan. The edges of the plate K rest on a {iange A2 near the bottom of thebox.

Referring to Fig. 4, which illustrates a novel arrangement, the pan Kfits loosely in the box A and is covered with a perforated plate K. Thecylindrical liner L rests on the plate, and the top of the liner reachesnearly to the edge of the box, thus serving as an abutment on which thedisk B may rest. 's Referring to Fig. 5, a flange or abutment inside thebox may be dispensed with, and the cover H may be extended to form aflange H which engages the top of the box A.

This invention is applicable to receptacles of various shapes, and Fig.6 shows the form of frame E which may be used for a rectangular box. Thearms of the frame E in this case terminate in straight branches E3 andin corner-pieces E4, both engaging the packingring C.

It is -to be understood that the details of construction and arrangementmay be varied without departing from this invention.

I/Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,isi 1. The combination of a receptacle having an open mouth, a lidtherefor, an expansible bar-.d around the lid, a dished frame on the lidhaving resilient radial arms engaging the expansible band at their ends,a central rod fixed to the lid and projecting through the vframe and ahandle pivoted to the rod and carrying a cam arranged to force down thecenter of the frame when the handle is turned.

2. The combination of a receptacle having an open mouth, a lid therefor,an expansible band around the lid, a dished frame on the lid havingresilient radial arms engaging the expansible band at their ends, acentral rod fixed to the lid and projecting through the frame, a handlepivoted'to the rod and carrylng a cam having a iiat'end so that thecenter of the frame may be forced down and retained when the handle isturned.

3. The combination of a receptacle having an open mouth, a lid therefor,an expansible band around the lid, a dished frame on the lid havingresilient radial arms terminating in segmental pieces engaging theexpansible band, a central rod fixed to the lid and projecting throughthe frame and a handle pivoted to the rod and carrying a cam arranged toforce down the center of the frame whel the handle is turned.

4. The combination of a cylinder closed at the bottom and open at thetop, a metal lid therefor, an india-rubber packing-ring pro-- j ectingup from the periphery of the lid and secured thereto, a dished frame ofresilient metal having a plurality of arms engaging the packing-ring attheir ends, a rod projecting from the disks through the apex of theframe and a handle pivoted to the rod and carrying a cam engaging the'top of the frame whereby when the handle is turned the center of theframe is forced down and presses the packing-ring into contact with thereceptacle.

5. The combination of a cylinder closed at the bottom and open at thetop and a lid comprising a metal disk turned up at its edges, a secondmetal disk above and within the first and secured thereto, anindia-rubber packing-ring projecting :from the periphery of the disksand held between lthem, a'dished frame of resilient metal having aplurality of arms extended at their ends to form a continuous series ofsegmental pieces engaging the inside of the packing-ring, a `coversecured `on the lid over the frame, a rod projecting from the disksthrough the apex of the frame and the cover, a handle pivoted to the rodand carrying a cam having a at. end and engaging the top of the frame,whereby when the handle is turned vthe center of the frame is forced andheld down pressing the packing-ring into contact with thefreceptacle.

6, In an air-tight receptacle the combination with a cylinder closed atthe bottom and open at the top, a desiccator resting on the bottom, acylindrical lining within the cylinder and resting on the desiccatonanimpervious lid resting on the lining at the top of the cylinder, anexpansible band round the lid, a dished frame on the'lid havingresilient radial arms engaging the expansible band at their ends andmeans for pressing down `the center of the frame to move the ends ofthearms outward and force the expansible band into contact with thecylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM HENRY SMITH.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. BALLANTYNE, HARRY B. BRIDGE.

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